ANTARCTIC LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS: The Changing Ecosystems and its Effect on Top Level Predators in the Antarctic

Dr. Shane Kanatous studies the physiological adaptations of diving mammals in extreme environments. When seals are most active, they are holding their breath, their muscles receive little to no blood flow and they rely solely on internal stores of oxygen and fuel to sustain aerobic metabolism. Dr. Kanatous investigates the types of fuels being utilized in the working muscles of Weddell seals in Antarctica and how those fuel stores are regulated in order to predict the plasticity of their energy metabolism to meet the demands of a changing environment.